TTV Dhinkaran camp hits back at K Palaniswami; calls him 'traitor'

Chennai: The TTV Dhinkaran camp in AIADMK on Thursday hit out at Chief Minister K Palaniswami for questioning the authority of the Deputy General Secretary, terming it as a "betrayal" and warned him of a backlash.

Two senior leaders of the Dhinakaran camp also called Palaniswami a "traitor".

AIAMDK's Karnataka unit secretary and Dhinakaran loyalist V Pugazhenthi termed as a "drama", the AIADMK Amma faction led by Palaniswami questioning the authority of Dhinakaran, besides that of jailed party chief V K Sasikala.

"These decisions are not binding on us. Party supporters will not accept this. They have poked their eyes with their own fingers," he told reporters.

"We are holding consultations with our Deputy General Secretary (Dhinakaran). Anything can happen. This is the peak of betrayal where Palaniswami has ventured into," he said.

Such decisions cannot be taken by a few office-bearers, as was done today, but is a larger exercise with a number of them required to take decisions, Pugazhenthi said.

He vowed "to teach a lesson to traitors."
The leader also alleged the possibility of role of former chief minister and rebel faction chief O Panneerselvam in today's developments.

"There could be behind the screens agreement with Panneerselvam," he alleged.

Another Dhinakaran loyalist, Nanchil Sampath, said the Chief Minister-led camp had come out with a "unilateral announcement" questioning the former's authority.

"By doing such a thing, Panneerslevam has got an important place in the list of traitors. History has seen many traitors and this is another betrayal," he said.

He questioned the Palaniswami camp's reasoning that Dhinakaran's appointment was not valid for the fact that he had not been a member of the party for five years prior to the appointment, since the late Chief Minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa had expelled him in 2011.

Sampath recalled he had quit the Vaiko-led MDMK in December 2012 and was appointed the party's deputy propaganda secretary that very day by Jayalalithaa then.

"Where were they then. Did these rules expire then?" he asked.

He said Dhinakaran himself will announce the future course of action following today's developments.